Improvement in apparatus for threading needles



UNITED STATES 'JA-MES'OKANE, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT-,IN APPAaATUs FoaTHaEADING NEEDLES.

Speciiicaticn forming part of Letters Patent-No. 37,587, dated February 3, 1863.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that. 1,-. JAMES OKANE, of the city and county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an instrument-for facilitating thethreading of needles; and I do, hereby declare the followingto be a full,

i 'ing of needles, the main advantage of my inventionbeing the ready adjustment of the instrument for the reception of ,needles of diiferent sizes.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification, Figf ure l is a front view of my improved instrument for threading needles; Fig. 2, a vertical section on theline l, 2, Fig. 1;' Figs. 3

and `4, the same as Figs. l and 2, (drawn to an enlarged scale,) the operating parts being in a different position; Fig. 5, a transverse section on the line 1, 2, tFig. i

A is a metal plate the upper end-of which is bent over as shown in the drawings, the

sides of the bent portion .being beveled and brought to a rounded point at a, so as to form a flexible lip, B, the point and beveled edges of which are in contact with the face of the plate, excepting under circumstances described hereinafter. A short distance below the point of the lip B, and in the plate A, is a small hole', c, and on'the ba'ck of the plate is a cylindrical block of metal, d, in which is a conical opening communicatin with the said hole c. A plate, D, is so secured to the plate A as to slide freely thereon to a limited extent, the upper edge of this sliding plate having a notch, c', and the lower edge a projection, h, which bears upon the edge of a cajrn, G, lthe latter being formed and graduated to suit needles of different sizes, as will appearhereinafter, and being hung to a pin, e, on the face of the plate A. A spring, a', serves to maintain the plate D in contact with the edge of the cam. i y

In using this instrument it is necessary in the first instance to ascertain the number of the needle which it is desired ito thread, (the sizes of all 4needles being determi-ned by the number.) supposing the needle to be the size" number' 6, the cam is turneduntil the num-,

ber 6 is brought directly beneath the projection h,-as ,seen in Fig. 1. The needle is then dropped head downward through an opening,

b, in the bent portion of the plate A, when the head ofthe needle will be directed by the beveled edges of the lip toward the rounded4 point a of the. latter. The needle is then pushed down, which is best done by pressing the thumb-nail against the point, l(the lip opening suflicie'ntly to permit its passage,) until the needle strikes the lbottom of. the notch.

t', when it will be found 'that j the e e of the needle isl directlyopposite the hol c inthe plate, and that the en d of a thread passed into the conical opening in the projection d will .be guided through the hole cinto andthrough the eye of the needle. Should the number of the needle to be applied to the instrument bel lower than six,(one for instance,) and the eye consequently larger and' farther from the end of the needle, it will be found on introducing the head of the needle in to the notch t', (the cam being still in the -positidn shown in Fig.` 1,) that the eye will be above the opening c, and consequently that the `thread cannot be introduced. It is therefore necessary to lower the needle, whichis doneby turning the cam until the mark number l-is beneath the projection h, when the plate D will be lowered to such an extent that when It will be seen that the number of the needle to be threaded being first ascertained, and the cam O being turned until a mark bearing a corresponding nuinber on its face is brought directly beneath the center of the projection h, the plate D is elevated or lowered by the action of the cam to such a position that when the head of the needle rests in the notch 'i its eye will exactly coincidewith the hole c in the plate.

The elastic lip B, with its beveled edges,has a twofold object: first, it serves.l to guide the needle (however carelessly it may be inserted into the opening b) to the point' a, of the lip;

secondly, the needle being iiattened -near the head, the tendency of Ithe mint of the lip cn 'l the needle Passing the saine will be to bea-r bi1 other dat side against the plate, the head in one of tlieflat sides of the headand to pressthef passing the point of the lip must consequently be turned (if turning be necessary) so that its eye is always-presented toward the hole c of the plate. vAfter' the thread has been passed through the eye 0I" the needle the latter, ac-v companied by the threadfis withdrawn fromV the instrument.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by LettersfPatent- 1. The' cam C, so formed and so graduated and so arranged in respect to the hole c ina platefa, to which the cam is hung,.that the eyes of needles-of different sizes mayb); the aidof the cam and its graduations, be brought i plate, andthe notch Q3 in the slide D, substantially as and for the twofold vpurpose described. IntestinomT whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. c

' JAS. OKA'NE.5

Witnesses HENRY HowsoN, JAMES MGCAHEN.

LA... H.' 

